[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6172701,"mediaKeyId","5387372-bc206b91ac4382d226e8b92c15b7f974","parentId",5387372,"title","Orlando proposes balanced FY26 budget with no millage increase, adds public‑safety staff and capital plan","audioSeconds",2049,"startMs",3516000,"endMs",5565000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5387372-bc206b91ac4382d226e8b92c15b7f974&start=3516&end=5565","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5387372-bc206b91ac4382d226e8b92c15b7f974/thumbnail_3516000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6172701/Orlando/Orange-County/Florida/Orlando-proposes-balanced-FY26-budget-with-no-millage-increase-adds-publicsafety-staff-and-capital-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172701-d482cd92b94d864cba5ff6028d179889/orig.mp4?Expires=1771090411&Signature=gmJFaIqS6oOnRPOpocEun4teg-93LF84u0l8KgGS1dQ7sjoZvoWsp~OZshURyF746Qdhwz6JDL1DG6cbyhgtc2elhR2Wswi3DLPohmFCgTR7zZfeDt7Gk5fA4HoVAnEjE8seaKFMn5NP3aqVC8XOYV1Zl9Eu2ZOigLTtm5iZZAejr2lYrt71fD0ps-xu9dO005T5g3fiVtXU~1TP3jCdfz9lkvcYXews-BfEjN0kAg0XSAXbDheQJzEQAppv3soKedDXtWzGiEw2R7poldBCJFiqCeD2Stfn7TQqr0rZqNJxu74z-BYDTF9G8HFvjcB2F~lTLE0Zz9stJ5AvnoimJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Orlando, FL","date","2025-07-15T04:04:25Z","article","City finance staff presented the proposed fiscal 2026 budget at the Orlando City Council workshop on July 14, describing a balanced plan that keeps the city’s millage rate unchanged for the 12th consecutive year while adding staff for public safety and infrastructure work.

The numbers: The proposed General Fund for FY26 totals about $742.6 million, and the citywide all‑funds budget is roughly $1.8 billion, staff said. Property‑tax revenue is projected to increase about 6.2% and remains the largest General Fund source (about 48%). The staff presentation said the city’s total taxable value increased to approximately $56 billion for 2025, with about one‑third of that growth attributable to new construction.

Top items in the proposal include staffing, rate changes and capital:
- Staffing: The budget adds 30 new positions and deletes 20 vacancies for a net gain of 10 positions. Police staffing increases by 16 sworn roles (10 officers, 3 sergeants, 1 captain and 2 school resource officers) plus four civilian positions for records and analytics; fire adds three civilian program managers to support planned station openings. Staff said police currently show about 70 vacancies. Council discussion indicated the 20 new police hires are intended to staff newly annexed or growing areas and to reduce overtime pressure.
- Rates and fees: Water‑reclamation rates would rise 5% (staff estimated an average residential impact of about $3 per month); solid‑waste rates would rise 4% (under $1 per month average). Stormwater rates reflect a multi‑year plan previously approved by council; staff explained the FY26 step is part of a 5‑year rollout that the council approved under state statute.
- SunRail and OUC: The city’s contribution to SunRail increases because FY25 covered nine months and FY26 covers a full 12 months; staff said the additional SunRail cost to all funds is about $4.5 million and the city’s share is roughly 32% of system costs. Payments from OUC (utility dividends and franchise equivalents) were presented as flat overall this year after a one‑time true‑up.
- Capital and bonds: Staff reaffirmed the city’s earlier declaration of intent to issue bonds of up to $200 million for priorities including fire stations, park improvements and road projects in the Southeast. Estimated annual debt service for the proposed bond package is approximately $7 million, with about $2 million attributed to stormwater projects; staff said stormwater capital needs include a $40 million project list already identified.
- Fund balance and ratings: Staff noted the city maintains a strong fund balance above its 25% target and highlighted the city’s high bond ratings and fully prefunded OPEB position as fiscal strengths.

Council questions and staff clarifications focused on overtime, vacancies, and program details. Police Chief (unnamed in the transcript) told council the department has roughly 70 vacancies and that adding the 20 officers would reduce overtime by assigning coverage for newly annexed areas; he said typical overtime spikes are driven by events, investigations and temporary spikes in crime. Commissioners asked for additional materials the staff promised to deliver: a commissioner budget notebook with line‑by‑line details, a diversity plan for police and fire hiring, a list of grant applications and awards tied to special operations, and a clearer list of streets and parks included in the capital program.

Rate timing and process: Staff clarified that the stormwater rate adopted last year was approved as a multi‑year (five‑year) rate plan as required by state statute; the FY26 step is a programmed portion of that plan. Any tentative millage resolution to set the city’s rate was on the council’s regular agenda later in the day, staff said; public hearings are scheduled in September.

Bottom line: The FY26 proposal holds the millage steady while adding targeted public‑safety staff and preserving capital investments; staff urged commissioners to review the forthcoming commissioner notebook and scheduled briefings before final adoption.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Orlando - Workshop, July 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff presented a proposed FY2026 budget that holds the millage rate steady, adds net 10 positions (including 16 sworn officers), proposes targeted rate increases for utilities and solid‑waste, and outlines a $200 million bond plan to fund fire stations, parks and stormwater projects.","taxTitle","Orlando, Orange County, Florida","taxId",2968,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6172705,"Orlando staff summarizes major 2025 legislative changes; warns of property-tax reforms ahead",1877,727000,2604000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5387372-bc206b91ac4382d226e8b92c15b7f974&start=727&end=2604","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5387372-bc206b91ac4382d226e8b92c15b7f974/thumbnail_727000.jpg","/articles/6172705/Orlando/Orange-County/Florida/Orlando-staff-summarizes-major-2025-legislative-changes-warns-of-property-tax-reforms-ahead","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172705-0ba3449057f458b01886b9161a38775b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771090411&Signature=IdpS84ugEm94RzUdZNqbhCk9kXTGGdr37hGPtBw1KSiu384aCm4lpQlNxXVKCfBVDh5qWYg35mZu712xD14ryzk9X3VKMjLSrndOhXJ7ePSqfBvCZPQaMYXluOD9tptjPIhL51Pt-tIsqdT7h9SPZOjGhvI2kp6~uUYeY7AqXQrrtqWKQThC3BuOzxtVUT~q0CKTbFPi-Cvw29e6DR9tE4dSoCSH5JruPaD3XzRFNeCk9v-nbzb~gKHVf-Fvx4l2qpV-QBHb96FnGqPB2ESf89wmPJ-soh0sfAbaSuypivFPmspC1motsfX51NUVGYvVTRuOgg8cGwCHjz-HxtxTbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kyle Shepherd, the city’s director of intergovernmental relations, told the Orlando City Council on July 14 that the 2025 Florida Legislature held an unusually long session and that a limited number of bills among nearly 2,000 filed will materially affect Orlando.

Shepherd said the regular session ran 105 days, from March 4 to June 16, and produced roughly 269 final bills this year. “It was the longest session that I’ve ever seen,” he said, adding that the city tracked roughly 426 bills and found 116 with some impact on Orlando.

Why it matters: Shepherd said most of the measures that passed are narrowly targeted but several carry direct operational or budgetary effects for cities. He singled out changes to emergency-management law, new historic‑demolition penalties, adjustments to plat and land‑use review, and an ongoing state push to reduce local property taxes that could reach county and city levies next year.

Key measures Shepherd summarized include:
- SB 180 (emergency management): requires minimum emergency‑management training hours for specified local staff, mandates online storm‑preparation/recovery information, and requires post‑storm permitting plans; it bars local governments from increasing building‑permit or inspection fees for 180 days after a state of emergency and prohibits adoption of more restrictive land‑development regulations for one year after a hurricane’s landfall. The bill applies retroactively to regulations adopted after Aug. 1, 2024, with some preemption running to Oct. 2027, Shepherd said. He also noted contract provisions to penalize post‑storm vendors that abandon jobs and encouragements for solid‑waste contractors to assist post‑storm cleanup.
- Public‑records change: a statutory exemption narrows public records for certain residential address details for members of Congress and public officers (partial address and home telephone withheld in some cases); Shepherd said a form or process may be required to claim the exemption.
- SB 582 (unlawful demolition of historic structures): expands penalties for unlawful demolition of certain nationally listed historic properties, allowing locally imposed fines up to 20% of a structure’s fair‑market value for qualifying cases.
- HB 683 (construction/utility/solar rules): includes a state rulemaking requirement for synthetic turf/permeability and creates a $50 million annual state grant program (funded from the local portion of the communications services tax, CST) to reimburse utility providers for relocation costs in public‑works projects; Shepherd noted the program replaces a proposed requirement that utilities pay relocation costs and warned the $50 million cap could grow in future years.
- SB 784 (platting): moves final plat approvals to administrative staff, requires governments to designate an administrator to process plats and respond to applicants, but the city retained authority to set the internal processing time frame.
- HB 929 (firefighter health and safety): tasks the state fire marshal with rulemaking on safer protective gear, mental‑health best practices, and encourages work schedules that avoid weeks exceeding 42 hours.
- SB 954 (certified recovery residences): requires jurisdictions to publish an application and review process for sober‑home approvals and to document reasonable‑accommodation procedures under federal fair‑housing and ADA law.
- SB 1730 (affordable housing / Live Local Act changes): made technical and substantive changes to Live Local implementation, including new definitions, limits on nonresidential requirements for mixed‑use projects using Live Local, some flexibility for height near historic structures, and an exemption for the Wekiva study area unless the city opts in.
- HB 4059: extends the Sunbridge stewardship district into the portion of Sunbridge now inside Orlando.

Shepherd also noted a small federal appropriation of $394,000 for the Pulse National Memorial that will assist the city’s memorial work.

On property taxes, Shepherd flagged a newly formed House select committee on property taxes that is studying five ideas floated by the House speaker, including a large new homestead exemption, giving the Legislature (rather than voters) authority to create exemptions, changes to assessment caps, and even proposals to forbid local governments from foreclosing on homestead properties for unpaid taxes. He said the committee of roughly 37 House members planned hearings through the summer and fall and could deliver a proposal early in the 2026 session; any constitutional change adding exemptions would require a joint resolution and voter approval at the ballot.

Council reaction: Commissioners raised concerns about preemption of local authority and potential budget impacts. Commissioner Stewart said he opposed measures that would “take away the rights of cities” and questioned retroactivity and sunset mechanics of SB 180. Commissioner Rose asked about board appointments for the Sunbridge stewardship district; Shepherd said district board appointments remain property‑owner controlled, not council appointees. Several commissioners asked staff to track property‑tax discussions closely and to brief the council as the House select committee develops proposals.

What Council staff will do next: Shepherd and the city’s Tallahassee team offered to provide detailed bill briefings on request, to confirm administrative processes (for the public‑records exemption), and to monitor the property‑tax committee and any committee products during the interim.

A longer, itemized bill matrix and follow‑up staff briefings were promised for council members who requested further detail.","City officials reviewed this year’s extended Florida legislative session, outlining a dozen laws that affect Orlando — from storm-recovery rules to historic‑preservation penalties — and warned a new House select committee is likely to press property‑tax changes next year.","actionData","errors"]

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Orlando proposes balanced FY26 budget with no millage increase, adds public‑safety staff and capital plan

Orlando staff summarizes major 2025 legislative changes; warns of property-tax reforms ahead